[Chapter 459: Progress on Titanic]
Back in Los Angeles on his first day back at work, Linton met in his office with the producer Nacho Misi and director James Cameron from the Titanic crew to get an update on the project's progress.
The Titanic film had been in development for over half a year, but all preparations were still moving slowly. They hadn't even started casting, and the shooting schedule remained uncertain.
Though Linton knew this movie had great potential for success, as both investor and lead actor, he had to regularly check in on the project given the significant investment involved.
James Cameron was truly aiming to make Titanic a cinematic classic. Every detail of the preparation was handled meticulously, even obsessively.
For instance, just deciding on filming locations took over two months of global scouting before they tentatively chose a natural lagoon in Malta in the central Mediterranean.
However, when the crew approached the Maltese government about filming there, they ran into unbelievable obstacles.
Normally, with Hollywood's influence, any country worldwide would welcome a major Hollywood film crew with open arms. Many nations would even offer massive financial incentives to attract filming -- to boost tourism, create jobs, and highlight their locales.
For example, with the earlier film The Shallows, when Linton was just starting out, director Zack and lead Cameron Diaz were still newcomers, and the budget was only around $7 million.
Yet even for that small project, the Australian government extended enormous enthusiasm, providing tons of filming support plus a 30% tax rebate.
When The Shallows premiered and became a hit, Australia's Lord Howe Island hugely benefited, rising to worldwide fame and becoming a popular tourist destination.
Tourism was already a key industry for Malta. So logically, having one of the world's leading directors bringing a $170 million project starring Hollywood's biggest names should have been a dream come true for the local government. At the very least, they should have fully cooperated, even if they did not offer special incentives.
But the crew's interactions with the Maltese officials surprised everyone. Instead of incentives, the government demanded exorbitant fees -- over ten million dollars -- citing environmental concerns, or else filming wouldn't be allowed.
When James relayed this to Linton, he couldn't help but laugh in disbelief.
"This is clearly extortion," Linton said. "They're just trying to grease palms or squeeze the crew. Ridiculous. This isn't the only place we can shoot. If we lose out on Malta, it's not like we're stuck eating bad options."
Linton recalled that the original Titanic had been filmed in a Mexican bay, though he didn't remember the exact spot.
But knowing the general direction was enough. He immediately told Nacho Misi and James Cameron to halt negotiations with Malta and consider locations near Mexico instead. Mexico had the added advantage of being closer to Los Angeles.
...
After another two weeks, James Cameron finally selected a coastal development area near Rosarito, Mexico.
They planned to build a large soundstage from scratch there, including a giant water tank.
Negotiations with the local government went much smoother. Linton even had the crew promise to develop the site into a water filming base -- and after the movie, to turn it into a tourist attraction.
The local officials loved that idea. They sold the crew 100 acres at a very favorable price and offered a 20% tax rebate during filming.
This was the right kind of cooperation -- everyone won.
With that settled, the movie's preparations finally got on track.
...
By now, the huge water tank was about one-third excavated, expected to be finished in six months, after which it would be filled with seawater.
Meanwhile, a massive Titanic ship model was being built under the guidance of art director Charles.
Since the shoot would be long, and Linton requested the set be repurposed into a tourist spot afterwards, they decided to use steel framing for the entire ship. They aimed to replicate Titanic one-to-one, based on historical data. This painstaking work would take 11 more months to complete.
To speed things up, interior set construction was underway simultaneously. Most interiors -- the dining room, luxurious grand staircase, and more -- were being built in Mexico City and would be disassembled and shipped to Rosarito for reassembly on the ship.
James Cameron insisted on perfection and hired Hollywood's top prop master Peter Ramon.
Peter led his team to recreate the first-class dining room, lounge, smoking room, promenade, afternoon tea room, gym, and multiple first-class cabins -- all based on surviving photos of Titanic's interiors and her sister ship Olympic.
They were also replicating thousands of items: deck chairs, table lamps, china, suitcases, life jackets, and maritime instruments in their authentic quantities.
In addition, James Cameron and Peter tracked down the original carpet manufacturer that had made the carpets for Titanic's deck dining and lounges. The company was still operating and custom-made the ship's carpets using original specs, fabrics, and dyes.
Regarding the schedule that Linton cared most about, James Cameron finally gave a concrete answer.
Pre-production would take another year, meaning principal photography wouldn't begin until January next year.
Casting was still too early; including filming and post-production, the earliest completion would be in late 1997.
"Well, no wonder they say James Cameron can only make one film every three years," Linton mused. "He's a perfectionist, way beyond me. I shoot one film a year, directing and starring myself. But that said, I fully support his dedication."
---
After James Cameron left, Nacho Misi stayed behind and vented to Linton.
"Boss, James is too arrogant and overbearing."
"What's going on?"
"Hollywood's always producer-centered, but James has flipped it around -- on Titanic, he calls all the shots. I barely have any say. Everything in prep has to go his way. You just heard him; he wants everything perfect and pristine. Stretching the schedule forever, costs spiral out of control. This isn't making art; it's just a movie. Don't you think you're giving him too much leeway?"
"Nacho, I understand how you feel, but there's no choice. Hollywood's top directors have the clout to be demanding. It's not just him; Spielberg, Lucas -- they're all like this."
"But boss, you're a top director too, and you're not nearly that pushy."
Nacho's flattery was easy to detect; Linton knew the real deal was that in his own crew, producers had even less power -- it's all about the director and no one dared complain.
"Cut the flattery. Honestly, I'm just the same. Alright, just hold tight. Not everyone gets to work with a director like this, and I'm really optimistic about this project. Once the movie's out, you'll see how much it benefits you."
"So, should I just let him have his way completely?"
"No, regarding the movie's creative side, James can lead fully, but there are two things you must control."
"What are those?"
"First, the crew's expenses -- you have to sign off and audit them. You can't deny normal costs, but as long as you control the budget, James won't be able to run wild. Second is the timeline. The crew must provide a schedule for all tasks. You need to make sure they stick to it. If they fall behind, dig into why it happened and hold the responsible people accountable."
*****
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